How to get your business found on Google: Business Profile, website and basic SEO

When people type "hairdresser near me", "dentist in Kadıköy" or "24 hour tow truck", Google answers from three places: the business cards on the map, the organic results and the ads. For a small business the first two bring plenty of work, and both are free. Work through the list below in order. Each step supports the next.

One note: nobody can guarantee you a particular position on Google. What follows lays the groundwork for being found, and it pays off over time.

Step 1: Google Business Profile

This is the card that appears on Maps and in search. For most local businesses it is the fastest win.

• Create or claim your profile. Search for your business name; if a listing exists, claim it using the "own this business?" link.
• Verify it. Verification options vary by business: phone, email, video or a postcard. An unverified profile may show up, but you cannot manage it.
• Choose the primary category carefully. The gap between "Restaurant" and "Pizza restaurant" decides which searches you appear in. Add secondary categories.
• Fill in address, phone and opening hours completely. Enter special day hours in advance.
• List your services and products and write a short description. Do not stuff keywords, describe what you do.
• Upload real photos: exterior, interior, team, your work. Keep adding new ones.
• Add your website address.

Step 2: Reviews

• Ask happy customers for a review. You can share your profile's direct review link over WhatsApp or on a QR code printed on the receipt.
• Do not buy reviews or give discounts in return. Google forbids it and can suspend the profile.
• Reply to every review. For a bad one, stay calm, specific and short: apologise, state the fix and move the detail to the phone.

Step 3: Your website

The profile makes you findable. The website convinces people and says what the profile cannot.

• Mobile layout and speed. If the page does not open on a phone within three seconds, most visitors are gone.
• Match the profile. Business name, address and phone should read exactly the same everywhere.
• Map and contact. An embedded map, a tappable phone number and a WhatsApp button.
• A separate page for each service. Do not cover "teeth whitening" and "implants" on one page. Each page should answer one search.
• Use the place name naturally. A phrase like "dentist in Kadıköy" belongs in the title and the first paragraph, not in every sentence.
• Frequently asked questions. Put what customers ask on the phone onto the page.

Step 4: Basic SEO settings

• Page title: a sentence under 60 characters that says what the page is about, for example "Dentist in Kadıköy | Implants and Whitening | Clinic Name".
• Meta description: around 150 characters, a clear summary that invites the click.
• One H1 and sensible subheadings (H2, H3).
• Alt text on images.
• Structured data (LocalBusiness): gives Google your name, address, hours and phone in machine readable form.
• Sitemap and robots.txt: help Google find your pages.
• HTTPS and a single version of the domain (with or without www, not both).

Step 5: Google Search Console

A free tool. Add your site, verify ownership and submit the sitemap. From it you see which searches show you, how many clicks you get and which pages Google finds problematic.

Step 6: Other listings

• Register on Apple Maps and Bing Places too, with identical details.
• Appear in reputable directories for your trade and in local chambers.
• Put your website address on your Instagram and Facebook profiles.

Step 7: Regular upkeep

• Once a month, add a new photo and a short post to your profile.
• Reply to reviews within two days.
• Keep opening hours and prices current.
• Every three months, look at Search Console: what are people searching for, which page is working?

What does Google look at?

Three things shape local rankings: relevance (how well your profile describes what is being searched), distance (how close the searcher is to you) and prominence (reviews, website, how well known you are). You cannot change distance, but you can manage the other two. That is why the steps in this list focus on complete and consistent details, on reviews and on real content. There is no place for shortcuts: fake reviews, a made up business at an address or stuffed categories can end with the profile being suspended.

The most common mistakes

• Inconsistent details. "5 Atatürk Street" on the profile and "Atatürk St. No 5/A" on the site. Google may treat them as two places. Pick one spelling and use it everywhere.
• The wrong category. The primary category should describe the main thing you do. Enter side services as secondary categories.
• A profile without reviews. Beside a rival with twenty reviews, a card with none gets overlooked. Ask for reviews steadily, in small steps.
• A slow site on mobile. Oversized photos, needless animation and heavy plugins tire both visitors and Google.
• Everything on one page. Piling five services onto one page means none of them answers a search properly.
• Set up once, then forgotten. Out of date hours and prices do more harm than an empty profile.

A plan for the first week

You do not need to finish everything in a day. Day 1: claim and verify the profile. Day 2: complete the category, hours, description and photos. Day 3: bring the site's details in line with the profile. Day 4: set up Search Console and submit the sitemap. Day 5: ask your first three customers for a review. After that, a few hours of regular upkeep each month.

Who should do this?

Most steps can be done on your own in half a day. If you are short of time, KMG's Business plan includes Google Business Profile setup, and the Growth plan adds local SEO care (review replies, monthly content and a report). For a starting point that fits your trade browse the templates, for plan details see the pricing page, and to see similar work look at what has been made with KMG. If you run a restaurant or café, the restaurant website guide will help too.